San Luis vs. Rojas

Ramon Gerardo B. San Luis vs. Hon. Pablito M. Rojas G.R. .R. No No. 159 15912 127 7

Mar Mar! "# "# 2$$ 2$$% %

&ats' Berde( )nt*l. &iled a om+laint ,or a sum o, mone- aainst +et allein t!at a ,orein or+oration or+oration orani/ed and e(istin under t!e la0s o, S 0it! +rini+al oe in San &raniso 3ali,ornia is maintainin an ation onl- to en,ore its ri!t b- virtue o, an isolated transation 0it! t!e +et. 4!at +et reeived ,rom it ertain amounts o,  mone- 0!i! 0ere meant +artl- as advanes or loans and +artl- ,or t!e +ur!ase o,  $6 s!ares in bot! Seanet and Seabest 3or+orations. Ho0ever# not a sinle s!are in t!ose or+orations 0as trans,erred to +rivate res+ondent b- +etitioner and t!e s!ar s!ares es 0er 0ere retai etaine ned d b- t!e t!e latt latter er t!e t!e +art +artie ies s t!en t!en ar areed eed to trea treatt all all t!e t!e +a-ments8advanes made b- +rivate res+ondent to +etitioner as t!e latter*s loan. Petit Petition ioner er +ro+o +ro+osed sed t!e +a-me +a-ment nt o, t!e loan 0it!i 0it!in n a +eriod +eriod o, " -ears -ears## 0!i! 0!i! +ro+osal 0as ae+ted b- +rivate res+ondent 0it! t!e areement t!at in ase o,  non+a-ment o, an- instalment on t!eir due dates# t!e entire amount s!all beome due and demandable. Petitioner later re,used to sin a ,ormal ontrat o, loan# +etitioner on:rmed su! loan to +rivate res+ondent*s auditors on ;uust %# 2$$$ and !e !and onl- +aid S< 2$#$$$ and no ,urt!er +a-ment 0as made des+ite re+eated demands. Private res+ondent res+ondent +ra-ed t!at +etitioner be ordered ordered to +a- t!e amount o, S< 15$#""5.75 +lus interest until ,ull- +aid and attorne-*s ,ees. Pretrial on,erene terminated and t!e ase 0as set ,or trial# PR :led a motion to aut!ori/e de+ositionta=in t!ru 0ritten interroatories allein t!at initial +resentation o, its evidene is set on Ma- "# 2$$2. Ho0ever# all o, its 0itnesses are ;merians 0!o reside or !old !old oe in t!e S;. 4!at one o, t!e 0itnesses 0itnesses is alreadalread- o, advaned ae and travel to t!e P!ili++ines ma- be e(tremel- diult i, not danerous# and t!ere is a +ereived daner to t!e in t!e a,termat! o, t!e 911 terrorist atta=# t!at 0ritten interroatories are ideal in t!is ase sine t!e ,atual issues are alread- ver,e0# t!at su! mode o, de+osition ta=in 0ill save +reious judiial and overnment time and 0ill +revent needless dela-s in t!e ase. 4!is 0as o++osed b- PR on t!e round t!at ta=in t!e de+osition t!rou! 0ritten interroatories interroatories 0ould de+rive t!e ourt o, o++ortunit- to observe t!e eneral bearin and demeanour o, 0itnesses.  4!e laim t!at travel to t!e P!ili++ines 0ould be danerous danerous ,or t!e 0itnesses 0!o are all ;merians is ,rivolous# sine res+ondent !as not +resented evidene t!at t!e

S overnment !as +ro!ibited its iti/ens ,rom travellin to t!e P!ili++ines and i,  ever t!ere 0as su! +ro!ibition it 0as not bindin on our o0n leal s-stem# old ae 0as not a valid reason. R43 ranted PR*s motion to ta=e de+osition t!ru 0ritten interroatories# Pet*s Motion ,or Reonsideration 0as denied# Pet :led ertiorari 0it! t!e 3;# denied# ruled in ,avour o, PR.

)ssue' >!et!er Setion 1# rule 2" o, t!e Rules o, 3ourt allo0s a nonresident ,orein or+oration t!e +rivilee o, !avin all its 0itnesses# all o, 0!om are ,oreiners# to testi,- t!rou! de+osition u+on 0ritten interroatories ta=en outside t!e P!ili++ines to +rove an oral ontrat.

Rulin'

 ?es# Setion 1# Rule 2" o, t!e Rules o, 3ourt +rovides t!at @b- leave o, ourt a,ter jurisdition !as been obtained over an- de,endant ,or over +ro+ert- 0!i! is t!e subjet o, t!e ation# or 0it!out su! leave a,ter an ans0er !as been served# t!e testimon- o, an- +erson# 0!et!er a +art- or not# ma- be ta=en# at t!e instane o, an- +art-# b- de+ositions u+on oral e(amination or 0ritten interroatories.* neAuivoall-# t!e rule does not ma=e an- distintion or restrition as to 0!o an avail o, de+osition. 4!e ,at t!at +rivate res+ondent is a nonresident ,orein or+oration is immaterial. 4!e rule learl- +rovides t!at t!e testimon- o, an- +erson ma- be ta=en b- de+osition u+on oral e(amination or 0ritten interroatories# at t!e instane o, an- +art-. e+ositions serve as a devie ,or asertainin t!e ,ats relative to t!e issue o, t!e ase. 4!e evident +ur+ose is to enable t!e +arties to obtain t!e ,ullest +ossible =no0lede o, t!e issues and ,ats be,ore ivil trials and +revent t!e said trials ,rom bein arried out in t!e dar=. e+ositions are +rini+allmade available b- la0 to t!e +arties as a means o, in,ormin t!emselves all t!e relevant ,ats# t!e- are not enerall- meant to be a substitute ,or t!e atual testimon- in o+en ourt o, a +art- or 0itness. Ho0ever# under Setion # Rule 2 o,  t!e Rules o, 3ourt# de+ositions ma- be used 0it!out t!e de+onent bein atuallalled to t!e 0itness stand b- t!e +ro+onent# under ertain onditions and ,or ertain limited +ur+ose. )t !as been re+eatedl- !eld t!at de+osition disover- rules

are to be aorded a broad and liberal treatment and s!ould not be undulrestrited i, t!e matters inAuired into are ot!er0ise relevant and not +rivileed# and t!e inAuir- is made in ood ,ait! and 0it!in t!e bounds o, la0.